short

I hope this will be short. I'm sooooooooo tired. My day started at 4:30 am and I pushed straight until 7 pm. Then was supper and vegging in front of the TV. Now it's 9:30 and I REALLY want to be in bed. My Mr. has already retired for the night.

So, bad things in today: I had to haggle down a lady in the market who was charging me more than the going rate for an item. Granted, it was only 12 cents, but it's the principle of the thing, and after 12 years it gets old feeling like people are trying to rip you off.

Second, I had words with a lady as I was taking today's photo. (For the record, I don't necessarily think this is a superb representation of beauty, but it is certainly an interesting photo.) Two ladies tried to shake me down for a buck each for taking the photo. They assumed I was a foreigner, but I explained to them (in the local language) that I live here, and if they keep treating tourists like this, no one will want to come back to visit their country. They didn't like that very much.

I don't like feeling that I to be on guard all of the time, that I need to defend myself.

But those negatives were offset by two good things. I participated in and helped to lead a training today with foreigners; westerners. I SO get them. Even the Aussies and Brits and such. I am funny and smart and they like me. Such a nice change.

The other things was so subtle I almost missed it. I went to the restaurant early today to deliver the salary of a girl who wasn't there yesterday. I arrived to find four disgruntled employees sitting outside waiting for the person with the key. It was already 1/2 an hour past opening time. Fortunately the girl I wanted to meet was there, sitting on a plastic chair on the sidewalk. I squatted down on my heels to talk with her, looking up at her from below. We finished our business and I was half-way home before I realized what had happened. She had NOT deferred to me by jumping up and insisting I take the good chair. She had let me linger below her. Granted, she was distraught about being locked out, but I'll take it.

The cat is ignoring me, which is too bad because tomorrow we leave for two days and she's going to be lonely. I will chase her for a little when I'm done here, but not for long because I'm exhausted and it's going to be a busy weekend.